PGA Championship Tuesday, May 18, 2021 Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Jim Richerson Seth Waugh put it together. Really have to thank the owner, Bill Kerry Haigh Goodwin here, of Kiawah Island Golf Resort; Roger Warren, who's the president of the resort and a PGA Press Conference member, past president of our association; Brian Gerard, the director of golf operations; Jeff Stone, the superintendent who's just got the golf course in JULIUS MASON: Good morning, everyone, and thank you phenomenal condition. very much for being with us this week for the playing of the 2021 PGA Championship, as we get back to our regular I think you've heard that from players already this week, May date. Before we tee off on Thursday morning at 7:00 how firm and fast and what a test the Ocean Course is we want to make sure you have some quality time with the going to be this week. PGA of America president, Jim Richerson, CEO Seth Waugh, and chief championships officer, Kerry Haigh. And our Carolinas PGA, the section here that covers the state, both North and South Carolina, almost 1,800 PGA Jim, this is always a very special week in golf and the members and the job that they're doing as part of this sports world, but there's a little something different about championship and all the work that they're doing to grow this year's championship, isn't there? the game has been unbelievable.

JIM RICHERSON: Yeah, thanks, Julius. Obviously the Even though we had to adjust like everybody did this past last year has been really challenging for everyone in the year, we saw golf really kind of bounce back in record country. This event is our championship, and we like to numbers. Rounds of golf were up 14 percent year over treat it as our 28,000 are like family and our players and year. We had over a half a million new juniors that got our champions are like family. introduced to the game, and our 28,000 men and women around the country were at the forefront of that introducing First and foremost we're missing two of our champions this and inviting new players into the game and keeping them year, two-time PGA champion Vijay Singh had to pull out, engaged as we move forward into 2021. and four-time PGA champion Tiger Woods won't be here. We wish them both a speedy recovery. Hopefully Vijay There was a lot that we had to deal with as an association, feels well enough to play next week in the KitchenAid as an industry this past year. A lot to be proud of. And Senior PGA in Tulsa. then we are now here today for the 2021 PGA back in May, and we've got some exciting things. We all hope that Tiger has a speedy recovery and gets back to being 100 percent as a father and hopefully we see Our week kicked off yesterday with our PGA HOPE him back out on the TOUR and our events later this year. Secretary's Cup, which if you're not aware, HOPE stands for Helping Our Patriots Everywhere. We've got hundreds Last year was a big challenge for the entire industry. 2020 of PGA members around the country that are involved in at Harding Park was a really interesting PGA that program. It's the only golf program for veterans that Championship. Kerry Haigh and his team did an actually is approved by the VA as rehabilitation. unbelievable job in a lot of respects. It may have been our most successful PGA Championship, being able to pull it So it's not just teaching them golf but it's helping with life off in the way that Kerry and the team and the PGA did in skills and kind of acclimating back into society. When you that type of environment. hear those veterans talk about how much that program means to them, how it saved their life, how it saved their Fast forwarding to today, we're here at the Ocean Course relationships and their marriages, it's pretty powerful to at Kiawah. Unbelievable amount of work and the team that think that the game of golf is utilizing a way to do that is

107528-2-1095 2021-05-18 19:36:00 GMT Page 1 of 10 pretty special. is going to help them in their everyday games.

And then of course this week it's about our championship, Hopefully they'll be able to watch the best players in the our major, and part of that is our team of 20, our 20 PGA world this week but also get some tips that'll help their club professionals that qualified for this championship. game, as well. We're very proud of the work that they do in representing all 28,000, not only operating and teaching and coaching JULIUS MASON: Jim, golf has seen a huge rise in the game at the highest level, but playing the game at the popularity and rounds played over the last year as a result highest level. of the pandemic. That increase has raised a huge demand for more employees within the industry. How can the PGA Kind of led by our champion, Omar Uresti, and we've got of America help? some other really skilled players, Danny Balin for instance, or Rob Labritz are both playing in their eighth PGA JIM RICHERSON: Well, it is a large industry. $84 billion Championship. They're great players. Rob made the cut industry. Over two million jobs are created by the golf at Bethpage Black a couple years ago, so we're looking industry. We've seen -- we talked about record numbers forward to cheering that team of 20 on and hopefully this past year, not only in rounds of golf, but club sales and seeing them play on the weekend, as well. the industry as a whole is in a really positive place.

We've had a lot that's gone on the last year. The entire Now it's really our job to keep those new golfers engaged, staff of the PGA of America led by Seth and the keep them playing the game, but it's also a great thing to championship team led by Kerry and really our 28,000 men get involved with. and women have bounced back and I think really helped drive the industry forward, and we're seeing those rounds We have 18 PGM universities and colleges around the continue to be at record numbers into 2021. country that offer a professional golf management program, and it's a great time to get into golf as an Hopefully we'll be able to shine a spotlight this week not industry. People that are involved in the industry are very only on the greatest players in the game, but also on some passionate about golf, very passionate about growing the of the great work that's being done by PGA members game, and right now it's a great time to get involved. around the country. The industry is thriving. We're looking to hire very qualified JULIUS MASON: Jim, I also know you're really excited young men and women or those that are looking for about a new programming element that we're launching second careers. We'd love nothing better if somebody is this week. Can you talk about that? excited about the game and wants to get involved and make it a career, we have opportunities either through our JIM RICHERSON: Yeah, the PGA Coaching Live and the partnerships with the university programs or just through Coaching Channel, for the first time we have it on the PGA of America itself. driving range. From today through Friday that'll be on PGA.com as well as ESPN+, but some of the best coaches It's a great industry with a lot of great people and a lot of in the country really analyzing the best players in the world, really passionate people, and the PGA professional is a big but also how to help the recreational golfer, the everyday part of that. golfer. So we'd love to invite those that are interested in getting We have our teacher of the year, Mark Blackburn. We've involved in the game to play it, interested in going into it as got professionals like Joanna Coe, Joe Hallett, Rich Jones, a career or interested in being involved in any way and then Collin Morikawa's coach who helped him to a possible, we've got opportunities and options for them. major victory; Rick Sessinghaus is here, too. We've got our own career services department at the PGA He's been splitting time between the golf course with of America, led by Scott Kmiec and the team, and they're Collin, obviously getting him ready to defend this year, but doing great work in elevating the status of PGA members also giving tips to the recreational golfer but also analyzing into? General managers positions, executive positions in the best players in the world. the industry.

This is something we've already gotten a lot of positive We have PGA members going into the media, so all response back from our PGA members, from members of aspects. Our career services department has worked clubs and golfers around the country talking about how this really hard over the last couple years to offer that to

107528-2-1095 2021-05-18 19:36:00 GMT Page 2 of 10 different companies and golf courses around the country. As I said, it was a long, hard year, but we entered the But we'd like to invite anybody from any type of crisis, if you will, with a concept that if we could be both background, if you're interested in getting into the game to smart and human and sort of try to get everybody to the play it or as a business or as a job, welcome aboard. other side of this thing, that we could actually come out of it stronger in a variety of ways. Not necessarily financially, JULIUS MASON: Thanks very much, Jim. Seth, as Jim though we've done well there to shore up things, but more pointed out, it's been a very busy year already up to this importantly with our brand and our relationships and our point, not to mention a Ryder Cup coming at us in culture. September. I know there's another initiative that you're very proud of. I'd say that that is not only true across the PGA of America, but I think across the industry because of how we worked SETH WAUGH: Yeah, first of all, I just want to say hello. together, which I'll really get to Julius' question in a second. It's kind of nice to be back with human beings in this beautiful place. I think we're all sort of smiling a little extra. By the way, if everybody thought I was going to talk less because you had me stand up, it's not working. As I said earlier, it's sort of a coming out party if you will for the game. We're excited about that. We started out with sort of Jim talked about the members. We're so proud of what they did. If you think about it, and I As Jim said, we're really proud of what we pulled off last don't want to be overly dramatic, but they were the front year, and I think we were smart about how we did a lot of line workers. We had this concept that golf could be part of things. the solution rather than part of the problem, and we had -- working with Jeff Price in the back and John Easterbrook, As an industry as well as us. head of membership, we had Back-to-Golf program which followed CDC guidelines. We approached the CDC and And we want to be smart on the way back out. You saw said, We think we can be part of the solution here, which that we've tried to be as responsive to literally situations they totally agreed with, and reintroduced golf through the that are changing every day in terms of CDC industry back to playing. recommendations, et cetera, et cetera, to have here. And then I'm really proud of the industry in terms of what It's going to be -- this is an amazing site. As Jim said, we Jay did in terms of being the first sport really back and on have great friends here. All you've got to do is walk on and television. When he was talking about playing in June and it's like a happy pill. May, I think everybody thought he was crazy, and yet he pulled it off. We pulled it off as an industry and worked Last year when we put tickets on sale here we sold out in a together to create a schedule. week. Monday after Harding Park, and we were out of tickets by the end of the week. We were disappointed we We tried to help the most in need and we created an couldn't fulfill all those requests, but we're proud of what emergency relief fund, which gave about $8 million to Kerry and the team are pulling off. those in the industry that were most in need.

It looks like we're going to have amazing weather. The golf We also wanted to approach every one of our partners and course, as Jim said, I've talked to 25, 30 players, all of say, Okay, what problems do you have? How can we whom are gushing about what Jeff and Kerry and his team help? And they were great partners to us and we think we have put together here, and now my job is just to stay out were great partners to them in creating generational of the way and let Kerry do his thing. relationships.

We know, again, as Jim said last year was maybe his Every one of those partners has stuck with us. Every one finest moment and our most significant championship in of them is here in some form this week. And we've added the sense that we were the first major back, really the first some. Notably Rolex has come back into the family. sporting event that mattered, and what he pulled off on Sunday was amazing. Not only did we take advantage of a crisis, if you will, but we've come out of it sort of stronger than we went into it. Obviously the players helped, but we hope to have that same sort of theater again this year and hopefully a playoff, The other thing that's really happened is the industry has right, Kerry, if we can pull that off. come together. We've sort of coined the phrase "Golf,

107528-2-1095 2021-05-18 19:36:00 GMT Page 3 of 10 Inc.," and we can accomplish a whole lot more together. hugely well together. We have a marketing campaign that We're sort of the board of directors of the game, if you will. you'll see soon, which is called Make Golf Your Thing. We There's lots of things that we can do together. think that will also kind of elevate how to play the game in all forms. It's not 18 holes as a measurement anymore. So last June as golf was sort of coming back and as Jim It's sort of -- if you went to Top Golf and you played three said, we were starting to see this kind of wild participation holes or nine holes or swung in a mirror, that's golf. And growth fueled by our members, I made a call to Jay and to how do you do it in whatever sort of digestible form that Mike Whan and said, Look, we have both an opportunity there is. and an obligation to do two things. One is let's assume Tiger bursts on the scene now. What would we do So we're excited about where we're going. We think the differently that we didn't do 20 years ago to make sure that industry, again, has never been more aligned towards was generational growth as opposed to six months of doing this together. We obviously have our mission is to fame, right. serve our members and grow the game. But now we've got a lot of company doing it, and hugely excited about it. So how do we grow it -- how do we sustain this growth. How do we make it not a year of golf but a decade of golf, From a Ryder Cup perspective, we're excited about -- if you will. obviously we worked with the industry last year to postpone it for a year. We have every hope and every And then number two is how do we make the golf look desire and we're working very hard to make it an absolute different than it has. How do we make it look more like the full fan experience. world so maybe the world will behave a little bit more like the game. It was right in the height of the social justice sort We're working obviously with the state and local of movement that has sprung. governments to have all those conversations. It'll be fluid. But our plan is to have a Ryder Cup in a way -- have it be Since then we've convened a call with all sorts of industry the greatest Ryder Cup in history. I think the world as players, club manufacturers, management companies, all we've seen is ready to have a party. the other golf bodies, and from that we've created six workstreams that are looking at everything in the game to The Olympics is going to happen it looks like, but not in the make it both grow and get more inclusive, as well. way that you would hope it would. And so this is really going to be the first time to cheer for your country, to have There's procurement, there's employment, there's a that sort of tribal -- in-person anyway -- to have that sort of marketing campaign, there's all sorts of things. From that, tribal atmosphere that is so important. a number of things have happened. Last week or two weeks ago, we held what is called our PGA Collegiate We're hopeful that September will be one of the great Works Championship. It is the old essentially HBCU events in golf and a great sort of exclamation point to the National Championship. We have owned it for 20 years or end of this thing. We think it's all going to happen fast from so. When it struggled we took it on and we've done really here, certainly from a U.S. perspective. I realize the world good things with it. Created a job fair. Kept it alive. still has a lot of challenges out there, but from a U.S. Hosted it at our home in Port St. Lucie. But we thought we perspective we're really hopeful we'll be able to pull it off. could elevate it. JULIUS MASON: Thank you very much, Seth. Kerry, you We talked to our friends at Comcast who's come in as a were here 30 years ago setting up this golf course for the partner both on the broadcast side as well as financially, Ryder Cup. Since then a lot of other major championships. and the TOUR, as well, who hosted it at TPC Sawgrass. The one thing that remained constant was the discussion So these kids got that opportunity. They had a job fair at about the wind out here. What can the best men's players the new world headquarters of the TOUR. in the world expect this week?

We're opening eyes to what Jim referred to, which is an KERRY HAIGH: Yeah, well, thanks, Julius, and firstly, it's $85 billion industry with two million jobs. You don't have to an honor to have returned to the Ocean Course. Some play it to be in it. There's all sorts of other things you can great memories here starting with the Ryder Cup. We've do. The idea there is to elevate it around this event to had our PGA Professional Championship here, KitchenAid ultimately hopefully do a lot towards endowing HBCU golf Senior PGA Championship, and two PGA Championships. programs around the country. What a great golf course. I think it's probably one of the Exciting stuff that's going on. The industry is working most difficult golf courses in the country. Pete and Alice

107528-2-1095 2021-05-18 19:36:00 GMT Page 4 of 10 Dye did an unbelievable job designing it, and I'm sure Pete top 100 players in the world once again are playing here in is looking down on us and excited for what is coming the championship, and it's something we pride ourselves ahead this week. on at the PGA Championship, that we have the strongest field as measured by the Official World Golf Ranking. I can't tell you how excited I am. I think the golf course is just in beautiful condition. Jeff Stone, superintendent, and It's a great field. Hopefully we can set the golf course up in all his team, have done an unbelievable job preparing this a way that challenges the best players in the world, and I golf course for what I hope and we hope will be one of the can't wait for Thursday morning to start and see how the most interesting, challenging, and exciting championships best players in the world play this magnificent golf course. we've ever had. JULIUS MASON: Kerry, thank you very much. We'll go The forecast, obviously we've got a pretty good forecast, ahead and go to the Q&A right now. and hopefully that remains. One of the fun things or potentially good things about that is we're going to have Q. Kerry, you talk about the difficulty of this golf this -- potentially this east wind for a couple of days and course. Could you address a little bit of the difficulty then it may switch to the west, totally 180-degree switch. of setting it up and just the many challenges that come here with the shifting conditions? Which if it does, again, Pete and Alice will be just lapping it up. That's in part why they designed this golf course as KERRY HAIGH: Yeah, well, great question. Yeah, I'd say they did. 7800 yards is certainly the longest golf course in I certainly get to know our weather team who are onsite championship history, but they designed it for that reason. very well and talk with them every night before we sort of So because of the wind and the effects it has downwind, set up for the next day and then every morning because, Pete was the first to say, Yeah, you need plenty of length. as you know, these winds can shift around during the day. But into the wind you have that ability, they built enough tees, enough teeing options for us to give some variety and All you can do is make your best effort and best estimate make it playable for the players. on how you're going to set it up based on the information that we have. That's exactly how we always do it. We'll try Could not be more excited. and do it fairly with all the information that we have.

As we have in previous championships, the sandy areas To your point, you've got to take into consideration every will not be bunkers, and we've notified all the players of aspect that's out there. that. So players will be able to take practice swings out of the sand areas. It's part of the general area. But if a ball is Part of Pete's design, as I say, he has tees that are there embedded in that sand, there is no relief from the loose and available for us to use based on those forecasts. sand. Q. Seth, I appreciate you entered a statement two We've notified the players and the caddies of that, and weeks ago, but the super league topic has still hopefully they're plenty aware of it as they were at our rumbled on as we've approached this tournament. previous championships. Could you please expand and articulate on why that project is troublesome for the game or bad for the Distance measuring devices we are allowing for the first game and what your wider thoughts are? time in the PGA Championship. We have allowed them for a number of years in our other championships. We feel SETH WAUGH: Yeah, sure, let me just reiterate our potentially here it can certainly help if you hit the ball off statement first and then I'll talk a little bit personally. I line, which occasionally could happen. That potentially will probably have a little bit different perspective than some help the speed of play in those circumstances. who have been in the game forever.

But obviously we realize the yardage book and the other First of all, I think we were pretty clear, but our view is that information that the caddies and the players learn over the the ecosystem of the game works very well. It's never practice rounds will still be just as important as it ever was. worked better. The partnerships that exist with ourselves, with the TOUR, with the European Tour and really all the Now it's part of the rules of golf to be able to use them. We golf bodies are strong. think now is the time to allow it at the PGA Championship. It's not perfect. I don't think you design -- if you were doing Finally, we're proud of the strength of our field. 99 of the it today you wouldn't have all these bodies, but it doesn't

107528-2-1095 2021-05-18 19:36:00 GMT Page 5 of 10 mean you can't make it very functional and work well. whether it be the FedExCup and back to Deane Beman in creating the best pension plan on the planet, and then If someone wants to play on a Ryder Cup for the U.S., FedExCup, those are all designed with the players in mind. they're going to need to be a member of the PGA TOUR -- excuse me, a member of the PGA of America, and they get So you're going to have a great life if you can get here. that membership through being a member of the TOUR. You're going to have a great life with a body that cares about you that is going to do everything they can to deliver I believe the Europeans feel the same way, and so I don't that. know that we can be more clear kind of than that. It's a little murkier in our championship, but to play from a U.S. If you introduce a financial element, that all changes. I've, perspective you also have to be a member of the TOUR again, lived in that world. There has to be an exit. There and the PGA of America to play in our championship, and has to be a profit. There has to be shareholders. There we don't see that changing. has to be a lot of things that change that dynamic of not-for-profits doing the right thing and always thinking The majors and the Ryder Cup are obviously a huge part about the game first, and their players. of the ecosystem in the game. I think that's part of their design, and we think it's a flawed part of their design, to I think you've just got to be careful sort of what you wish assume that that would be the case, because in our case, for. If that's a better way to watch a game, if a team format it's not the case. or less players -- we should talk about that sort of -- they should talk about it as an industry and think about whether That's hopefully pretty clear. there's better ways to conduct tournaments.

I think, look, I come from a world of disruption, and I think But I don't think anything is hugely broken, so I'm not sure it's inevitable -- I actually think it's healthy. You either what the solve is for totally, other than an outside body disrupt or you get disrupted. That's what this is. trying to disrupt and get into the game in a way that I don't think is in the best interest -- long-term interest of the You know, should it be a hostile takeover of the game I game. think is way too far. They've created this conversation, which by the way isn't new. It's been around since 2014 in Q. Should we also be careful or mindful of where the different forms, has created change. It's created an money is coming from? alliance of the European Tour and the PGA TOUR which we think is really healthy for the game. SETH WAUGH: Yeah, I think very mindful. I think enough said. But I think very mindful. We encourage that, and I personally did, you know, had a lot of conversations with both sides, and we think that's Money is money, right, and so money needs to have a healthy to be even more coordinated than we even have. return and have all those things that are associated with it, It's created the Player Impact Program, which is a direct but some money is better than other money. result of that. If the only weapon you have is money, you're going to keep I think -- so change is happening, and I think it's healthy -- that's what you're going to leave with, right. I think that's change. Is it enough? I'm not sure yet. I don't know -- I what's going on. struggle with what they're solving for. The game is not in crisis. Like the players -- the game has never been better I don't think, particularly for younger players that are going from a participation standpoint. I think the players have to have a 20-year career out here, I just don't think they're never been better served than they are right now. going to be better off in that format than they already are. I honestly look -- I've talked to a bunch of them. As you can If you think about, this is a member-owned Tour, both of imagine, you look them in the eye and you just say, Be them are. And so they're for the benefit of the players. careful what you wish for, because short-term gain feels That's how it's designed. That's how we're designed. Like good for a little while, but long-term gain is what makes that's my job, is to be a fiduciary for the game and a lives. fiduciary for our members and leave the room better than I found it, and that's exactly with a Jay and Keith and the guy Q. You said about disruption, you guys just signed a who is standing behind you are doing every day. deal with IMG Arena, which is gambling. Of course we're at a state where we are having the PGA If you think about what they've done over the years, Championship and we can't gamble here, so we can't

107528-2-1095 2021-05-18 19:36:00 GMT Page 6 of 10 bet this week. Are you looking at states where you've picked championships to go and working towards If there was an industry effort we'd be a part of it, but I don't getting that changed to support what your efforts are think we'd drive that. on the gambling side? Q. Do you agree with that, Jim? SETH WAUGH: Well, I'd say two things. I should have mentioned in my opening we're really excited about that JIM RICHERSON: Yeah, absolutely. I think we've got partnership with IMG Arena and the TOUR who is doing a bigger regulatory things we're looking at that affect the golf lot of data. I think personally and we all think it's going to industry. be great for the game. Water rights on the West Coast and relief efforts for We talk about new entries from a participation perspective different golf courses have been left out of different relief but also from viewership, and if you look at -- just look at bills in the past and things of that nature. Our efforts from what's happened in Fantasy Football and DraftKings and a lobbying standpoint are a little more concentrated on all these things that are creating games within a game. those areas. You look at cricket internationally which a lot of it is around the betting part of it which creates a lot of that interest. But absolutely, Seth is right. If it is a push for the industry and our other partners and other associations, it's I'm for anything that grows the game. I'm for anything that absolutely something we'd look into. Just not a high makes it better. Obviously we want it to be regulated. We priority right now. want it done well, which is why we have great partners. We're excited about it, and I think it can really be a growth Q. Seth, obviously last year was a one off, but how engine for viewership and hopefully participation, as well. has the move to May strengthened this championship?

I've seen it firsthand in my 20 somethings, my kids and SETH WAUGH: That's a great question. Look where we their friends. That that's what they like to do. It's are. We think this is a very different experience in May happening in the stock market right now, right? It's also frankly than it would have been in August. Kerry should what gamification is already happening. speak to that.

So I think it's all good. In terms of finding states, it's all But we had a great event here in August, but you do get happening pretty fluidly, and frankly we're committed pretty some rain and probably a little less wind; course conditions far out on our championships, not our -- certainly our men's probably aren't quite as good. majors, so we really don't have a lot of flexibility. We think -- I'll let Kerry jump in because he's lived it. It If we did, I'm not sure that would be a huge factor in what obviously shuts out certain parts of the country which is we're doing. I think it's -- again, this is a personal opinion, disappointing, but there's no perfect date for that, and we not the PGA, but I think it's going to happen state by state. think it opens more than it closes. It's too valuable to a state to not do it, and I think it will become the norm as opposed to the exception as states And we think the cadence of the schedule is just better. If figure it out. it's better for fans, I think it's better for players. Obviously it's exhausting for them to go April, May, June, July, and To predict 10 years out which states are going to have it or then if this year you've got an Olympics and then you've not, that's pretty hard. That's beyond my pay grade. We're got a Ryder Cup and you've got a FedExCup in there, not picking states by that, but we're excited about the that's a long grind. trend. But as far as creating fan and engagement and how it Q. Could you see the PGA of America lobbying should work and how it's given some breathing room to the legislatures in places where you are having Ryder Cup -- and Olympic years are a little different -- but tournaments to try to get this changed? to the Ryder Cup and to Presidents Cup and to FedExCup, we think it's a better schedule for the players. SETH WAUGH: Probably a bridge too far. That's not our job. We hold championships and we grow the game and Kerry, you may want to -- serve our members. If we thought it added something to our members by adding something to our championships I KERRY HAIGH: A hundred percent. I think Seth touched guess we could get our head around it. on everything, but certainly in warmer climates it's more

107528-2-1095 2021-05-18 19:36:00 GMT Page 7 of 10 temperate for spectators and for all of us to be here. Golf every day? course conditioning-wise it's the start of the season in most parts of the country, so that really helps our PGA members KERRY HAIGH: It'll totally depend on Mother Nature. to promote the game and get their clubs excited about golf. We'll make that decision each morning as we set it up. Hopefully it'll be fun and fair. Yeah, we love it. You've got a bit more breeze in May than we do in August, so what's not to like? Q. Kerry, you've got three of your biggest championships, Ryder Cup notwithstanding, in a SETH WAUGH: Kerry made a great point. It's a great six-week period. Is that too much to take on? How chance for us to tell our story, as Jim talked about, our 20 much stress does that create? and sort of what we do. We do this one week a year. We do the rest 52 weeks a year. Our chance to kind of light KERRY HAIGH: Having the three -- the fire for the game in May is pretty significant. JULIUS MASON: Nothing is too much for Kerry. JIM RICHERSON: Yeah, Seth is right. It's shining a spotlight on the work that our 28,000 members are doing KERRY HAIGH: Having our three major championships, through junior programs, our PGA HOPE program, and certainly we've had to adjust our staffing model a little bit, Make Golf Your Thing. It's kicking off -- as Kerry and Seth but we have such a fantastic staff who work for us at each both said, a lot of the country is just opening up to golf of the championship venues, both the KPMG Women's because of the weather in April and May, so it's a great PGA, the KitchenAid Senior PGA, and our PGA opportunity for us to really promote the game and promote Championship, that we're a team and everyone gets into it, the programs that our PGA members are running and we go straight from here to Tulsa next week and we're throughout the country. ready, we're up, we have a daily call with Tulsa.

Q. Kerry, given how long and difficult this course is, Yes, it's challenging, but that's our job, and we expect each what's a realistic time to get threesomes and of them to be the very best championships we can make, twosomes around? And what steps will you be taking and hopefully the players will enjoy all three of them just as to make sure players keep moving along? much as we enjoy putting them on.

KERRY HAIGH: Yeah, I think pace of play is always a Q. Seth, maybe I've missed the memo or didn't pay concern. 156-player field, but we do have 11-minute attention to this, but when you talk about this intervals as we did at Harding Park last year, which exclamation point hopefully for the Ryder Cup, have certainly helped the flow of play. you begun ticket sales, and how do you mesh that with the confidence level of being a full spectator venue? I think the length of the course itself on its own I don't think is that big of an issue as if the wind blows. Obviously then KERRY HAIGH: Yeah, I'll try and answer that question. it takes a little more time to determine clubs, et cetera, but So the ticket sales, we were sold out as of a year ago, the distance measuring devices will certainly help that which was great news. Obviously then we postponed it potentially. and we offered all ticket holders and corporate purchases the opportunity to either stay in or not for 2021, for the But no, we have a PGA of America rules committee, playing of it in 2021. including some PGA TOUR rules officials, and we'll be out monitoring the pace of play as we do every PGA So the vast majority of the ticket holders and the Championship, and very hopeful that the pace will be corporates remained in and ready to go with the PGA reasonable. Championship. We are working with the county and the state of Wisconsin and have submitted our COVID protocol Q. What's the time par? plan, which as Seth mentioned continues to change and evolve every day. KERRY HAIGH: The time par is 4:47, I think. And again, with a full field you have two hours and 12 minutes of tee We're hopeful that by September we will be able to have times, so 2:20 is about the quickest a lead group can play, full attendance. If it were today we could not based on so that's 4:40, so I feel very comfortable. where COVID numbers are, but certainly with the vaccine and the numbers coming down, we are very hopeful and Q. Is there a chance you'll play the course at the full optimistic that we will be able to have a full attendance. length or do you plan to move some of the tees up

107528-2-1095 2021-05-18 19:36:00 GMT Page 8 of 10 Q. Did you ever put a number on that full attendance? SETH WAUGH: The only other thing I'd add is the generations are growing up using them. It wasn't KERRY HAIGH: No. necessarily the case, and it is now. So it makes a lot of sense in my view. Q. Are you going to? Q. Kerry, the captains' agreement between the two KERRY HAIGH: We're sold out, which is good news. captains for the Ryder Cup, when does that get (Laughter.) negotiated and signed?

Q. I was going to ask about range finders, allowing KERRY HAIGH: It's an ongoing process. Hopefully range finders for the first time. What went into that probably the next few weeks I would say. There's a couple decision, and do you really think it does speed up of things. The order of play has to be determined by the play? home captain, which is included in the captains' agreement, so I think once -- we're sort of encouraging KERRY HAIGH: Yeah, distance measuring devices, two Steve to make that decisions so we can operationally make years ago the USGA and the R&A made it part of the rules some decisions and that's incorporated into the captains' of golf that they were allowed. For a number of years agreement. we've been using it as a local rule for our PGA member championships. So hopefully the next few weeks.

We just felt -- the board talked about it at length, actually Q. Are alternates in that discussion? for about 18 months at least, talking about using it, and we feel it's the right time for the game to use them. KERRY HAIGH: Talking about the whole COVID situation, we have not agreed on what the solution will be, but we are All the information that you can get from a distance potentially going to put some wording in the captains' measuring device, including some that you're not allowed agreement in the event of COVID, but that's not final. to use this week, the players have and the caddies have in That's also a little bit some of the holdup for it. their yardage book. Q. Seth, about the championship being a little bit more The gradient changes, they're already in the yardage book, difficult to deal with with this whole premier golf so they're not getting any more information than they don't league kind of thing versus the Ryder Cup, could you already have. But hopefully for balls that may be hit astray, see a situation where you would specifically exclude being able to use it would save time of the caddie having to past champions in the criteria for getting into the PGA walk into the middle of the fairway, find a sprinkler, pace Championship if a premier golf league got off the back just to get the yardage to the hole. ground?

We do think -- I'm hopeful that balls hit wide will save time, SETH WAUGH: Well, it's not specific to that, but if you're but for the general balls in the fairway, probably won't. It's not a member of the PGA of America and you're U.S., new to the players and new to the caddies, so any you're not eligible. Kerry, I believe that's right, right? improvement may not be seen this year or in the first few weeks of trying it or few years of trying it if we're the only KERRY HAIGH: Mm-hmm. ones, but ultimately or hopefully I think down the line it could show an improvement in pace. Q. If you're a past champion?

Q. Something you'll use going forward every year? KERRY HAIGH: Yeah, you have to be a PGA of America member for a U.S. citizen. KERRY HAIGH: I think that's every intent. SETH WAUGH: So it's not like we put it in to combat it. JIM RICHERSON: When the board made that decision the It's our bylaw. intent was for this to stay as a rule, not to try it for one year or just a couple of events. Q. Kerry, when I was speaking earlier this year with Jeff Stone, he told me that there's now rye rough in Our intent is this will be introduced and be part of our May instead of the normal rough that you had last time championships moving forward. you were there in 2012. Can you please tell us a little bit how differently the rough will play, and what do you

107528-2-1095 2021-05-18 19:36:00 GMT Page 9 of 10 think the cost of rough is going to be for somebody who hits it in there?

KERRY HAIGH: So I think every year here at the Ocean Course they overseed during the winter with ryegrass. Obviously in May some of that ryegrass is still present in what is now predominantly paspalum grass.

To be honest, the rough is not growing that quickly. I think Jeff has not mown it for over three weeks, and it's not growing that quickly. But our hope and intent is that -- and I think we're seeing that you're getting a mixture of lies but there's a lot of balls that are sitting up, which will potentially give you sort of a flier lie, which is obviously difficult to control, and in an ideal world, that's what we would like to see.

The intent is not to make it so thick and so deep that the player just has to hack it out, and yes, there may be one or two lies that get that, but I've thrown balls this morning, last night, and it's just about where we want it to be.

Could not be happier. And as I said, Jeff Stone and his crew have done an unbelievable job in preparing what is just a fantastic golf course.

SETH WAUGH: I had dinner with a major champion last night and I said, How's the rough, and he said, oh, it's rough. So it's a factor.

JULIUS MASON: Ladies and gentlemen, have a terrific week. Thanks for joining us.

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